New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-02
A PRACTICAL JOKE.

Royal, - wasa poet, not thAt ne Was any .n9
hard. Working servant never submitted to be sworn
A. by a stage manager; hut at times the odoosnes
scrbspai would be strong upon him, and then If the
york was at all slack no was to be avoided by all
mosaic persons who did not want to be seized by
the first avail liable button. while Pinder. with his
syy be P hoS or a''D sta r To- the Stalls.
At the beginning Of ths season pletty ana "a
intelligent sr had SSnea the aossbRts1 of
Door widow who gained her livelihood a. seam
stross al one Of the largo theatrical costImiers 10
name ne' was Rose Hazledean She had hegun her
theatrical career a coryphee; but, ey dlnt q
sheer hard work and perseverance,. mao OBTAINED
sufficient education to qualify herself for q more
Responsible position. During the season she had so
improved by practice in varied range OF omar
acer and mad SO nS f tSs and
company, that bright aud successful career was
predicted for her.
Among others whose general kindness and
practical suggestions had been of great assistance
10 the struggling girl was John Lester. who played
the leading juvenile business Hs W waS Eab baye
achieved o much higher position, but Tor an
unfortunate penchant for playing practca Jokes Is;
Managers did not always appreciate species OF
bumor which sometimes made them the butt of
their own companie les and servants and JACK Lester
frequently found that his managers sense OF humor
did not extend beyond an envelope placed IN his
hands by the prompter on Friday night containing
D fortnghts notice.
Forced by necessity and experience to spare the
managers, and finding the company at the theatre
Royal - too wide-awake to become his victims
Jack Lester had seized upon the property master
sremarH ABLY intelligent and clever yoans fellow
would be beguiIed into reading his poetry and
giving copies to his hvpOcrltical patron. who
wonld then ingeniously rervert and alter them into
such extraordinary productions THAT when they
were read IN the green room with exaggerated
gesture aud burlesque emphasis, bis listeners would
be couvused with laughter.
Jack Testers amusement however, WAS one night
brought to termination by the extraordinary and
rad ha a nr N
Indignantly prOte ted against the rdcule that was
being heaped upon the devoted head of the uncon.
warning him. unless the cruel amusement W at
once stopped. jack Lester persisted, and ho3e
Hazledean speed w proved she was woman OF her
word. The result of her championship of FINDER
was the next day, when in response TO Letters
invitation to write him poem for recitation
between the pieces. not TO take more than five
minutes describing the history and wanderings OF
the lost tribes of Israel Pnder replied IN Language
which II not elegant was at least fOrcible. Write
II yourself and be d-dV
Goodness now sprung up between Pinder and
his auondam patron, more than cOunterbalanced
however. by the Increased and genuine interest
evinced by Rose Hazedean in the poets verses
which RAPIDLY developed more am JTous tendency
and when one of the ladies found some of the
verses left accidentally upon Roses dressing place
suspicious were aroused which appeared to gain
confirmation whom another efgson was discovered
In her handbag, which she had left on a chair
while Tehearsing, and which concluded
With the ring upon your finger
In the vestry you will linger,
With our anxious hearts at ease,
While I pay the parsons fees.
All doubts, however were set ct rest toward the
end Of November when 1t was formally announced
that Miss fiazledean had become Mrs. Finder.
The autumn season had drawn towards tho close.
Pinder was busily modellingf or the pantomime,
end the programme was being changed nightly, in
vain attempt to draw goose and pudding saving
public, W hen drama founded upon East Lynne
was put into rehearsal for the same night. Miss
Rose HaZedean Mrs. PindeT) in consequence of
the ndispostion OF the leading lady. was cast for
the runaway wife. The rehearsal was nasty and
incomplete one. The manager war busy drilling
The ballet tor the pantOmime The prompters
attention was distracted with scene rlots and
Plnder was hurrri.dly sent to Birmng CHAM to
purchase certain necessaries for the property room
In the drama letter was supposed to be written
by the runaway wife addressed to her husband in
which Sue announced her Intention OF leaving him
for ever. The pron pier being busy, Mrs. Pinder
copied the letter herself, and at the end of the
evenings performance 1t vas left the prom nters
desk, where it was noticed by Jack Lester Just as
Mrs Pinder rushed up to the prDmpter and III an
excited manner asked to be excused rehearsal the
next morning, She had received a telegram TO say
that her mother was i'll. There was just time to
catch the last train and be back in time for the
next nights performance maht she GO Permis-
sion was az once eiven. She wrote a hurried note
to her husband explaining the cause of her absence.
gave 1t to the prompter to hand to PnAer. W no
expected back before tue, farce, was over. She
Jack Lester. whose busy brain immediately con,
cs,ved the idea of PLAYING practical Joke upon
without thought; the promptcr's attention was
engaged and in moment the envelope, insufficient
bidding farewell to her husband substituted
for the real one.
The performance was over, the lights were
lowered the company and employees had left and
jack Lester in the act of saying ght TO
the all-kecper. WREN Pinder returned. and the
note Was placed in his bands. He read it through
by the solitary gas jet the door crushed it Ia
his hand. and without a word walked into the
dimlv lighted and gloomy theatre, and up into his
pTOpeTtyrO which was situated over the flies.
Lester, who was III reality very gOodhcarted
fellow when not blinded by his master passion.
made up his mind to go after him and explain
everything, when he as suddenly seized by la f-a-
dozen joval acquaintances who had come TO fetch
him ont to supper and. listening to no excuses,
they dragged him away to a neghboring hostelry,
where, III the excitement. Pinder was forgotten.
ADD it was not unit the next morning, when. with
theatre, that he remembered. with n pang of
remorse. tho cruel Joke he had pe!peiratet.
:" Late. usual. Mr.. Lester" exclaimed the
prompter. as Jack II ade his appearance.
Beginners please" shouted the pronpter; and
the rehearsal proceeded quietly only DELAYED now
essential to the scenes. and which, after consider
able delay, were brought by Finders assistant.
"Where is that Internal property man T. con-
tnually shouted the mans ger but without result
and the first act was over when Testers attention
was called to a group of tie company who were
pointing overhead to the gridiron above the stage
"Whats that bar gag mp there p asked ore.
panto,nme property, suppose reple
Wonderfully made" said a third. "Clever
fellow. Finder; the best modellcr in England"
Lester Ike the rest looked up. ana there,
dangling at the end of a rope, between the borders
was something that, in the uncertain light,
looked strangely like human body, and the sight
of which sent strange thrill to Jack Lesters
he ri. and iused it to sink within him.
"What are you all star gazing here for ?" asked
the manager.
The object Of interest was pointed out to him.
Capital model Of a man." id the first old man.
d" II gave me the shakes when inst saw it,
"YOu must have SC n it months ago then, /"
answered the low comedian.
Remarkably like hanging man. said the
walking gentleman, as he lanted glass in his eye,
ana looked up.
"Not unlike PindeT himself" added another.
"Dy heaven" shouted the manager. who had
bnen steadily looking aioft at is Finder! Quick